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Villanova continues to rise in the AP Poll, now up to #21 in the country following another victory over La Salle. The Wildcats were bumped up in the polls more because other teams fell than beating their winless Big 5 opponent. But a win is a win as Nova continues to climb the ladder back up the rankings.
Another reason Villanova is on the rise is that their only two losses are looking better and better each week. Michigan has risen from #18 to #5 since defeating the Wildcats and remain undefeated. Furman may be a little more impressive, also undefeated and rising to #25. It’s the Paladin’s first ever appearance in the AP Poll.
While the Wildcats remain the only Big East team in the Top 25, Marquette (47), Creighton (42), and St. John’s (39) all appear in the “Others Receiving Votes” section.
2018-19 AP Poll: Week 5
| Rank | School (#1 Votes) | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | School (#1 Votes) | Points |
| 1 | Gonzaga (43) | 1,578 |
| 2 | Kansas (19) | 1,539 |
| 3 | Duke (1) | 1,463 |
| 4 | Virginia (1) | 1,367 |
| 5 | Michigan | 1,339 |
| 6 | Nevada | 1,300 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 1,238 |
| 8 | Auburn | 1,154 |
| 9 | Kentucky | 1,070 |
| 10 | Michigan State | 915 |
| 11 | Florida State | 871 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 809 |
| 13 | Texas Tech | 783 |
| 14 | North Carolina | 782 |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 675 |
| 16 | Kansas State | 629 |
| 17 | Buffalo | 515 |
| 18 | Iowa | 417 |
| 19 | Ohio State | 385 |
| 20 | Arizona State | 384 |
| 21 | Villanova | 356 |
| 22 | Mississippi State | 243 |
| 23 | Maryland | 204 |
| 24 | Nebraska | 176 |
| 25 | Furman | 101 |
Others Receiving Votes:Purdue 100, Syracuse 62, Marquette 47, Iowa St. 46, Texas 44, Creighton 42, St. John’s 39, Houston 30, NC State 14, Indiana 13, Arizona 12, Louisville 11, Clemson 11, Radford 9, TCU 9, Notre Dame 3, Arkansas 3, Oregon 3, UCLA 3, Florida 2, Boston College 2, Davidson 1, Oklahoma 1.
Polling Archives
Some interesting Villanova AP Poll facts from College Poll Archive:
- It’s Villanova’s 373rd ranking in the AP Poll (18th All-Time)
- It’s Villanova’s 2nd consecutive ranking in the AP Poll (Tied for 20th longest active streak)
Additional Polling Data
Some would argue these “experts” are more relevant than the AP Poll.
KenPom: Nova is 18th overall, 8th in Adj. Offense, and 53rd in Adj. Defense
Sagarin: Nova is 23rd overall, 23rd in Predictive, 19th in Golden Mean, and 24th in Recent
Massey: Nova is 9th overall, 3rd in Power Rating, 7th in Offense, and 19th in Defense
Kendrick: Here are #21 things you didn’t know about Anna Kendrick.